Notes

Axia Consultants RFI RFP Accounting Software Reviewing RFI Responses


and identifying software solutions to short list

Straightforward guidelines for reviewing RFI responses are detailed below. Consider following them if your organisation does not have formal RFI response reviewing and evaluation guidelines.

The objectives of reviewing RFI responses are to:

• identify good potential software solutions and
• create a short list of these vendors / software
• determine additional queries and questions to ask the vendors
• eliminate those vendors / software which clearly do not meet your needs

Reviewing RFI responses is a multi-stage process. Start with initial checks and a quick review. Then move on to more detailed RFI analysis and evaluation. You will need to determine how critical – compliance with the initial checks and review is. For instance, will you reject a RFI response (vendor) that fails one of the initial checks or review criteria?

Initial checks include:

• Is the RFI response in the right format? Eg email document say word or pdf file attachment – which ever you requested.
• Or if you requested paper – are there no more than the maximum number of pages you stipulated?
• Is the RFI response sealed?
• Received on time?
• Sent to the right person / department?
• Is the correct RFI reference number stated?
• Are vendor contact details included eg named contact, phone and email address?
• Sent more information than requested eg supporting documents, sales brochures, demo CD’s?

Review all responses for:

• Completeness. Are there answers to all the questions you asked? Do you have all the information you requested?
• Quality. Is it a considered, detailed and realistic response or is it a rushed, copy and paste job?
• Clarity. Is it clearly written, with no unnecessary jargon or marketing speak? Can you easily understand the RFI response?
• An indication of how keen the vendor is to work with you eg meeting your time scales, offering additional help etc.